


eyes full of stars

by shanyuan



Series: into the burgisverse™ [1]
Category: Burgisverse
Genre: Gen, andrius jokūbas character development arc, burgisverse so true, katya natasha redemption arc, yas confrontation so true
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:21:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28547805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanyuan/pseuds/shanyuan
Summary: Andrius didn't like problems—he didn't like confrontations, conflicts, he didn't like taking things too seriously; but more than that, he didn't like how he's been restless ever since he was fourteen.
Relationships: Katya Natasha Arlovskaya & Andrius Jokūbas Laurinaitis
Series: into the burgisverse™ [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2122821
Kudos: 1





	eyes full of stars

“Coffee?”

Katya Natasha peers at him the same way she always has: lovingly. But he was beginning to question even that—all things considered.

“No thanks,” he smiles, though it's empty and afraid. She doesn't seem to notice—which is good, Andrius Jokūbas notes to himself inwardly.

The sun shone down on the two of them, seeping through the curtains of the window. The café today was eerily quiet, surprisingly enough, but the supposedly soothing music pulsated unsteadily inside his head, taunting him with memories of nearly six years ago—back when they were still kids.

Back when he still loved her, and she claimed to love him.

His smile reaches his eyes upon remembering—he knew she never did.

“How's Natalya?” Her voice was still agonizingly sweet. She crosses her legs, her fingers drumming against the table. “Is she doing okay?”

“She is, actually.” His slim fingers are wrapped around the body of his glass, raising the rim close to his lips to take a small sip. He could feel his mouth drying up from the anxiety; he doesn't like the thought of that.

Andrius didn't like problems—he didn't like confrontations, conflicts, he didn't like taking things too seriously; but more than that, he didn't like how he's been restless ever since he was fourteen. Back then, he thought it was normal to be awake when the sun rose up; because being in love supposedly kept you up late. But he wasn't in love with anyone now—in retrospect, he hasn't been for years—and yet the vestige of exhaustion never once took over whenever he plopped himself down on his bed at ten o'clock, sharp.

He would turn, and turn, until his frustration gradually overflowed enough to shut his brain down and finally sleep.

“And you?” The blonde female arches up a brow, her head tilting to the side thereafter. Andrius gulps. “How have you been, Aj?”

“I've been okay.” 

She huffs.

“So, we're both doing okay despite our miserable circumstances.” She shrugs on her purse. “Can I leave?”

He stares at her.

“Emilijā loved you, you know.” The brunette's eyes fall to the ground as soon as Natasha's brown optics snap to his direction in an attempt to lock contact. Andrius plasters on a lopsided grin; a bitter feeling blossoming within his system. “So, so much.”

She stays quiet this time.

“She used to say something stupid whenever I asked her why she kept on tolerating your shit,” slight pause—he takes a quick moment to try and read the glint of something in her eyes. But Natasha turns away, for the first time this afternoon, now avoiding Andrius' piercing stare.

“If you love, you love until it hurts.” Natasha whispers, audible enough to reach his ears.

He blinks a couple of times.

“Yeah, that. I'm surprised you know.”

Natasha, who was still as beautiful as ever under the radiant sun, only raises her hand to run her fingers through her hair—a mannerism. Andrius knew she was getting antsy.

“I'm the one who told Emilijā that.”

“Fuck, really?” Laughter bubbles up in his throat, his eyes fluttering close as he let himself indulge in the momentary amusement. “It was so fucking stupid, too, where'd you learn that?”

“A story for another day,” she grins.

The silence lingered around the two of them, but he was too tired and she was too nervous to ever acknowledge the awkwardness—so they simultaneously picked up their cups, sipping a little from their drinks.

Andrius was the first one who brought down his beverage.

“What do you know about love, anyway?” His tone is firm and brisk, almost judging, but Natasha pays no mind to it.

“I know more than you,” a heavy exhale; she places her elbow atop the table, soon resting her chin on top of her palm. “I loved Emilijā as well, for your information.”

He scoffs. “Is that why you cheated on her a dozen times?”

She visibly freezes for a quick second—but she regains her composure moments after.

“I know it sounds horrible,” she fiddles with her hair. “But, yes. In a way.”

Andrius does nothing but gesture for her to continue.

“I was so, so fucking young—and stupid, gods. I thought Emilijā was just going to be another addition to my list of people to leave behind. But she was very persistent; and she still is, actually. I knew she loved me. I just couldn't wrap my head around the reason why she did. I'm not saying this to justify my reasons, but no one's ever chosen me for anything, you know?

“And I was afraid, because I knew I loved her too, but it was only going to be a matter of time until she decided to leave me for someone better as well.” Natasha shakes her head bitterly.  _ “Inunahan ko na. _ I gave her so many opportunities to leave, but she never did. She only left when I finally told her I didn't want to be with her anymore.”

Her coffee was growing colder by the minute.

“That's fucked up,” Andrius only narrows his eyes in disbelief—the beginnings of the thread of his anger slowly getting tangled up inside his head. “And you claim to know more about love than me? Please tell me you're joking.”

She laughs warmly—he wants to slap himself square in the face when he feels his heart fluttering inside his chest.

“I've been in love,” she starts. “You haven't.”

“I loved you.”

“You didn't.” A grin is apparent on her face now. He didn't know if the tingling sensation that resonated within him was because of the frustration or the familiarity.

“You look out for the people you love,” Natasha continues. “You looked out for Emi, back then. But you didn't look out for me. If you actually loved me before, you would have hated me for being so cruel to your sister.”

Natasha's phone goes off, her ringtone echoing throughout the quaint coffee shop; she looks at the screen to identify the caller, but before Andrius could even sneak a glance, she turns off her cellphone.

“I'm sorry.” She was stumbling on finding the right words to say—that much, he could tell. “I was horrible to you, and to Emilijā. I should have done this years ago.”

“Years ago, huh?” Andrius smiles. “So you could feel better about yourself earlier?”

She halts.

“No. So you could stop relying on your damn sleeping pills.”

Andrius Jokūbas, for the first time that afternoon, felt tears prickling by the corner of his eyes. Natasha grins half-heartedly, pushing her handkerchief towards Andrius' side of the table.

“Don't love until it hurts, Aj.” The sound of her chair scratching against the floorboard reverberates inside the store. “You do stupid things to the people you love when you're hurt.”

Her back gradually grew farther away with each step she took to the door.

“Before I forget,” she stops right in front of the exit, shamelessly increasing the volume of her voice. “Tell Natalya her coffee tastes better than the one they served me here.”

Andrius smiles, soon tossing her the handkerchief she slid towards him earlier.

“I'll see you later, Tasha.”


End file.
